Can I ask you a simple question – does the name Okra rings any bell? Well, okra, also known as lady’s finger, or bamia is one of the popular nutritious vegetables of North-East African origin. Okra is low in calories. One cup of raw okra only has around 30 calories. And in that low-calorie cup in a whopping 66% RDA of Vitamin K. Okra is also high is calcium, fiber, vitamin C, protein, folate, manganese and magnesium.

Study Confirms:

This powerful lectin, found in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) can kill 72% of human breast cancer cells (MCF7) in-vitro, mostly by inducing programmed cell death. This, newly found extract in common okra was also show to slow the growth of breast cancer cells by 63%. An interesting thing is that researchers are still discovering new anti-cancer compounds in foods that we eat on daily basis. So, the research on okra as a cure for cancer is just starting up. Medical experts in another recent study have found that okra pectin is active against highly metastatic melanoma cells (B16F10). The okra pectin is reducing their proliferation, inducing cell cycle arrest and programmed cell death (apoptosis).

6 Healthy Reasons why you should eat okra every day:

The best thing about this super healthy vegetable is that it’s available anytime of the year. The best time to get an okra is in early fall, when crops in the Southern states reach their peak. People usually add okra as a thickening agent in homemade soups like gumbo, because of its ooey-gooey texture. Okra is a nutritional powerhouse, loaded with healthy nutrients, such as: vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that provide an array of health benefits from treating diabetes to preventing kidney disease.